Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday accused India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of internationalizing the Kashmir issue by taking it to the United Nations. He said the issue should not have gone to the global forum as it was an Indian issue.
Prime Minister Nehru appealed to the United Nations Security Council through a petition filed in January 1948 after the outbreak of the first war between India and Pakistan. Based on this petition, the Security Council established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan to mediate between the two countries.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “This (Kashmir issue) is essentially an issue related to India. Congress took the issue to the United Nations. Who took it up? Our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru took the issue to the United Nations. Why? Because the British may have suggested something to him that the issue would not improve, and PM Nehru took it to the United Nations.”
Referring to Pakistan, the Finance Minister said, “Till today our neighbors are misusing it (with reference to PM Nehru’s taking of Kashmir issue to the United Nations).” Describing Kashmir as an integral part of India in no uncertain terms, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “This is an issue that should not have gone to the global forum. This is essentially an Indian issue, we could have handled it. We are handling it now and are showing the difference.”